Cageless Daycare consists of dogs playing together in an open indoor area under the watchful eye of trained staff that cares for their safety. It is a marvelous opportunity for your dog to have fun and exercise with other dogs The dogs are carefully screened and divided into play groups of compatible sizes and play styles. Each group plays in its own fenced in area within a larger comfort controlled room.

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How will my dog benefit from cageless dog daycare?

Dogs are social animals by nature. To be at their best, dogs need the interaction of playing, or just hanging out, with other dogs. By being in daycare, rather than at home alone or with a short mid-day walk, your dog will get a higher, but still controlled, level of mental stimulation and exercise.

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What is Positive PlaycareSM

Positive Playcare is, first and foremost, our commitment to you and your dog that we will earn and maintain a relationship with your dog based on positive interactions. In practice it is the blending of daycare with a positive conditioning approach to canine training called "positive reinforcement."

We chose to use the term Positive Playcare because we wanted make a clear statement to our public and our parents that Your Dog's Best Friends is committed to delivering the highest standards in this industry for healthy, happy and constructive dog-to-dog and staff-to-dog interactions. We are dedicated to a process of constant learning and improving . . . and we couldn't think of a more exciting and rewarding job.

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How is Positive PlaycareSM different from other cageless dog daycare?

In a perfect world all daycares would provide the same level of positive encouragement to the pups and adult dogs in their care to which we are committed. We strive to give each dog the attention it needs to develop a bond with our staff and to use that bond to enliven the dog's capacity to learn good behaviors and socialization.

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Can playing indoors on a hard floor hurt my dog?

Yes, this is why we went to great lengths to install a vulcanized rubber floor similar to those used in high-end sports clubs. Running around on concrete, as in many dog daycares, is rough on the dogs' paw pads and joints. Rolled flooring and gym mats may help somewhat but they have created other problems in the daycares where they have been used. While vulcanized rubber flooring is the most expensive solution, it is the right solution.

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Where will my dog go to the bathroom?

The dogs relieve themselves in the playroom and the staff immediately removes the urine or dung. The spot is then quickly mopped with a dog-friendly sanitizing solution. In our facility, the dung is removed by placing it down a flushing floor drain at the edge of the play area. This is far better for controlling hygiene and smells and is far and away the most ecologically friendly approach.

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How do you keep the place sanitary?

In addition to immediately removing urine and dung and mopping down after every instance, we have built the room so that we can thoroughly hose down both it and the equipment. The walls are painted with specialized epoxy paint and the floors sealed with an ecologically appropriate compound to prevent urine or microbes from lodging. We thoroughly clean twice each day - when the dogs are removed from the room for nap time and at the end of each day.

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Will my dog unlearn being house-broken?

Dogs adapt to specific situations. Your dog will learn to relieve himself or herself in our daycare but remain fully house-broken. You might want to keep on eye on your dog if you ever take them into another large room with a vulcanized rubber floor and a fence.

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Can I bring my dog's toys?

Thank you, but no. We have plenty for all the dogs to share. Toys brought in from the outside can be a source of tension. If your dog has a favorite toy please feel free to suggest that we get some for the playroom. Donations are graciously accepted.

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Do you have a dress code for the dogs?

Your Dog's Best Friends is a very classy place. We provide the very best in collars that help us safely manage the dogs in our care. These collars are referred to as "martingales" and they are specially designed so that when a dog is taken by the collar or a lead attached to the collar, there is a safeguard that prevents the collar from severely constricting. The collar your dog arrives in will be removed and stored for when you pick up your dog. No other clothing or accessories are permitted.

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Do you take dogs of all types and sizes?

We are equal opportunity dog lovers. We manage our playcare to provide appropriate playgroups for all sizes and most types of dogs. But for safety of all the dogs in our care we do have to limit the dogs that we take to those dogs that we know we can manage. Some dogs are not suitable. We do not take intact males or females. They may be wonderful, lovable dogs but their intact glands can have an adverse affect on the behavior of other dogs. If you have any questions as to whether your dog might not be suitable we will gladly talk with you about your circumstances.

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Do you serve meals to the daycare dogs?

Not unless you make special arrangements and provide the food your dog regularly eats. A change in a dog's diet can upset their digestion or make them edgy.

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Is daycare non-stop activity?

To each their own! Some dogs have the energy to romp most of the day. Lots of other dogs need rests. We give all our dogs, even the energetic ones, a nap period from noon to 2 p.m. We also have the Den, our quieter room to which dogs that want to take it easy can retire.

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Is there a risk my dog might get hurt in playcare?

Our staff carefully supervises the dogs at all times and is well trained to recognize the signs of emerging aggression. We are also careful to ensure that dogs don't get overly tired or display "turf" or "resource" protection behaviors. Extra care is taken at our facility during the feeding of our overnight boarders by feeding each dog in their own crate.

But even when carefully supervised to ensure aggression does not occur, dogs, like kids on the playground, can get in the occasional scrape. Our staff is trained to quickly respond with canine first aid and a leading Veterinary clinic is just steps from our front door. Should anything happen to your dog that requires medical attention we will contact you immediately using the information you have provided to us.

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How do you keep the dogs from hurting each other?

We take the safety of your dog VERY seriously. It is one of the reasons we believe so strongly in the alert and attentive staff to dog interactions that lie at the heart of Positive Playcare. We make a point to get to know the dogs in our care as individuals, to connect with them, and discover how to win them over to accepting our guidance and control. It is the same basic positive obedience bond that can be the foundation for even the most advanced levels of canine training. In our screening we look for dogs that respond well to our positive approach.

We are careful to screen dogs for temperaments and play styles that we can manage. We are also constantly reading the behavior of individual dogs and the pack as a whole. At the first sign of emerging aggression that could lead to a confrontation our staff redirects the dogs involved to an activity that the staff has learned each dog can be guided to.

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Why is there an Admissions Process and Orientation Day?

Your Dog's Best Friends conducts a thorough admissions evaluation including an Orientation Day to ensure that we have a high degree of confidence that admitting a dog to Positive Playcare will be safe for all the dogs in our care and for our staff.We also want to be sure that every dog gets a chance to put his or her best paw forward when s/he meets all the other dogs.

On Orientation Day we do our best to make sure the new dog is set up for success. The staff member who conducts the evaluation and orientation process studies the Pet Profile that is part of the Admissions Package. We purposefully adapt the pattern of "controlled introductions" to be sure that the dog's first encounters are comfortable and confidence building.

If there are signs during the Orientation Day that the dog could create a situation that is unsafe for itself, other dogs or the staff, we will politely but firmly counsel the owner that the dog will not be included in our playcare. We do not do this lightly but we will not hesitate to do so if we have any misgivings or suspicions.

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What happens if a dog becomes difficult to manage?

The behaviors of some dogs can change as they become more comfortable with their surroundings. Our goal is that they learn to be more social but, sometimes less social behaviors emerge. Should this happen, even if we adore the dog and the parent, we will be safe and exclude the dog rather than be sorry.

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Where do the dogs in cageless boarding sleep at night?

Dogs bed down in the Den or a fenced play area with one or more member of our staff. Think of it as a well-chaperoned slumber party.

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My dog has special needs; will I be able to make proper arrangements for those needs?

We will do our best to meet the special needs of your dog. Please call ahead of time to make special arrangements.